Who do you want in the playoffs: DET or CHI?
 

How has this thread not been started yet?

Who would you guys rather play in the playoffs? Why?

Also, if Chicago wins in regulation tomorrow--thereby clinching the 4 seed for us--do we rest our top dogs?

Chicago definitely Towes is hurt. The Preds can't Win in Detroit and yes they should rest everyone if there is nothing to play for. Start Pickard vs Avs

Didn't we win in Detroit just a week ago? There was something about it being Trotz's 500th.

Chicago is missing a key player in Toews but Crawford is able of stealing games if he gets hot. Detroit is getting healthy, but just 2-3 in their last five without a regulation win since destroying the Jackets. Both are dangerous but beatable.

Detroit. They have to lose sometime.

as long as we have the 4 seed I don't care which we face, although I would get significantly more satisfaction out of winning a playoff series with detroit.

I'm just thinking with Chicago's goaltending issues that they are an easier draw both are tough and will get help from the orange arm bands, but the Wings have our number. I see the Hawks losing (nod nod wink wink) tomorrow anyways since Phoneix is now in 3rd. Talk about integerity of the game re-seed the playoffs if you are going to have a draft lottery. It's in both teams best intrest to lose tommorow. Keep the division winner in the top 4 but give the better team the 3 seed reguardless of division.

FYI If the league went to the 4 division format then the playoffs would be Chi-St L and Nash-Det in the 1st round and the winners facing each other in the 2nd yikes

I think we could beat either with home ice, whereas I think we'd lose Detroit without it.

For that reason, I picked Chicago.

Home ice only is an advantage if we go to seven. We have to win on the road to do it in less, it just becomes a question of where does the series start.

Yeah, we lose in round 2.

I'm pulling for a meteorite to hit chicago say, in about 11 hours

So you're assuming that the Wings lose tomorrow? :laugh:

reading both the wings and haws boards they seem to want us least of their possible opponents...

will be a really weird game tomorrow if they both want to tank..

toews from what ive read/heard, will be back for chicagos playoff series.. so don't pick chicago because they will be without toews. although, who knows... he does have the dreaded concussion

We've hashed at this before ;)

The piece you're overlooking is momentum, and how important it is in the playoffs. It's a lot easier to build it if the first two games are under favorable circumstances. I think there's some absurd statistic about how often the team that wins game 1 goes on to win the series.

Let's look at the momentum of the teams heading in. The Wings haven't won in regulation since beating the Jackets .... 2-3-0 with both wins in a shootout since then. We're 3-2-0 in our last five with two of three wins in regulation (including one against the Wings). We're 5-2-0 in our last seven, Wings 4-3-0 ... who had a six game winless streak before that ... 4 wins in their last 13 games. Not quite heading down the stretch with any momentum.

As a Wings fan I will say this... a playoff series with you guys would be no fun. I have visions of our little forwards being mucked by Weber and co.
Rinne will undoubtedly build a wall in net when showing down with Detroit as good goalies so often do against our perimetre based game.
And something tells me Radulov has some game just waiting to pop when this post season heats up.

All in all I hope we play Phoenix for a third year in a row in the first round... But If we see eachother next week, I hope Datsyuk says his Russian Orthodox prayers correctly so he can tap into his not-of-this-earth powers or we won't win a long series with you guys.

I'd rather play and beat Detroit. Chicago will bring more fans to the Bridge, which is embarrassing to me. Secondly, if we beat Detroit, maybe it douses any thoughts of Suter signing with the Wings. Perhaps he would realize that Detroit may not provide a better opportunity for the Cup. Finally, knocking the Wings out of the playoffs would bring more respect than beating the Hawks -- at least it would this season.

You know there's a problem with the playoff format when two teams want to lose their last game before the playoffs.

Regarding the question, I really have no idea. I guess if I absolutely had to pick I say Chicago. There can be arguments both ways and I've used them, but I think my final choice is the Hawks.

Tough call. I view them about equally. Both are strong at home, but somewhat weak on the road. We dominated Chicago in the series...but they had success against us most recently (w/o Toews and Keith)...we split with Detroit, but we won the last two, including one at the Joe.

Chicago is the hotter team...but we know they are without one of their stars.

Detroit is limping along right now, but starting to get healthy again.

We do want redemption against both for past playoff series losses (x2 for Detroit).

If Chicago beats Detroit (in reg) and vaults into 5th, they have a little momentum coming into the playoffs. If Detroit wins...it's sort of neutral (and our game determines seeding). If Detroit loses in overtime, they lose the game, but retain 5th due to having an extra point...but it would sort of be like backing into 5th.

So in the end...I think I would rather go ahead and play Detroit, due to how they (and we, really) have played lately. It's really close, though. Either one is going to be a tough sort of grudge match for us.

I think either way we are in for a hard fought 6-7 game series.

I want Chicago. Obviously if we play them we will have home ice for one. Even if Toews is back he isn't going to seamlessly transition into the lineup for two. If the Preds could limit the big guns production and I think they can than Crawford would have to steal the series for them. I've been saying it for weeks I like how we match up against Chicago.


I'm really looking forward to watching their game tomorrow. I know Chicago has nothing to gain other than positioning but I think it's still going to be a hard fought intense game.

the guys on the ice are not going to tank it. now, you may see an ice hog/griffen game, but all 40 guys who dress and the 6 coaches behind the bench are going to do what they need to do to win. I think the notion of tanking is a fan idea. I know if I saw my team tank in a game I paid money to see, I would cease buying tickets.

Professional athletes don't care who they play because their life revolves around getting into the playoffs, winning the Cup, and you're confident you can beat anyone. Also, pro athletes aren't going to think another fellow playoff team is considerably weaker than another. So, in conclusion.....I agree.

Preds tanked the final game of 07-08 on the road vs the Hawks in order to avoid San Jose.....they played Mason and then Rinne that night even though Ellis was the red hot goalie at that time...

I went with Chicago mainly because we seem to have their number this year, and I think we're in Crawford's head a little bit, seeing how we chased him twice (IIRC), and then came back from 4 down to tie it up in the last game we played against them. I think Howard's the better netminder of the two.

RELAX !

one after the other :yo:
And Phoenix at the end ! (or may they be taken care by another team)